WATER polo is coming home - and Manchester will be the venue when the British-born sport returns to its roots in the guise of the largest international men's water polo tournament ever held in the UK.

Manchester Aquatic Centre will play host to the LEN European Nations Trophy next month when 12 squads from across the continent battle it out for prestigious silverware as well as a chance to qualify for the Beijing 2008 Olympics.

And spectators are being offered the unique chance to see the unforgiving Olympic sport, as physical and competitive as rugby but played in water, while cheering on the Great Britain team.

The eight-day LEN European Nations Trophy gets under way on 8 July and is the latest major aquatic event to be staged at the Oxford Road aquatics centre.

For the British men, the event serves as a major step on their road to competing as host nation at the London 2012 Olympics and they'll be looking to receive the type of support that will provide a valuable edge in what will no doubt be close encounters against tough continental opposition.

The British team will be in familiar waters when they take on France, Poland, Ukraine, Israel and Ireland in Group B, as the majority of the squad are based at Manchester Aquatics Centre, currently the home to water polo in this country.

Nations involved in Group A are Belarus, Turkey, Malta, Belgium, Macedonia and a strong Montenegro team regarded by many as favourites.

Teams will progress from the two leagues to the quarter-finals, semi-finals and final before the destination of the 2007 LEN European Nations Trophy is revealed.

The tournament was awarded to the UK in 2005 and will play a vital role in British Water Polo's development between now and London 2012.

The event has involved a number of partners and organisations led by British Swimming. These include funding partners Manchester City Council and UKSport with support from the Manchester Evening News, Kellogg's Swim Active, Manchester Water Polo and Serco.

British Swimming Chief Executive David Sparkes is looking forward to seeing international water polo back in Britain and the effect it will have on the sport in both Manchester and the UK.

He said: "The LEN European Nations Trophy is critical in the development of the British men's team for London 2012 while also providing a valuable opportunity for British officials and volunteers to experience international competition as the nation prepares to host the Olympics in five year's time.

"It will give people in Manchester and the nation as a whole the chance to see what really is an exciting and impressive sport, and a legacy has been designed to further build on the positive effects brought about by hosting such a prestigious event."

The legacy initiative has been designed to get more young children involved in the sport by introducing them to mini-polo.

To date more than 75 children from Manchester have taken part in a mini-polo tournament as part of the programme. Pupils from eight schools competed for places in a grand final to be incorporated into the LEN European Nations Trophy on Friday 13 July.

Tickets for the LEN European Nations Trophy are now on sale. They cost £5 (£3 concessions) every day from Sunday 8 July to Friday 13 July and £10 (£5 concessions) for weekend finals on 14 and 15 July.